Pope names Nobel physicist, Indian scientist to sciences academy

Published: 2004-10-25

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II has named as members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences a Nobel-winning physicist and one of the world's leading experts on how the use of aerosol sprays contributes to global warming. The Vatican announced the appointments of the two U.S.-based researchers Oct. 23. William D. Phillips, 55, won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1997; he is a professor of physics at the University of Maryland in College Park and leader of the Laser Cooling and Trapping Group of the Atomic Physics Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Veerabhadran Ramanathan, 59, a native of India, currently serves as director of the Center for Atmospheric Sciences at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif. The Vatican said his research focuses on "how human activities influence the climate and environment of our planet."

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